ELECTROSPUN POLYCAPROLACTONE NANOFIBERS AND MICROBEADS LOADED WITH DEXAMETHASONE FOR EXTENDED OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY
Sheng-Po Fang, Kuan-Hui Hsu, Chang-Lin Lin, Anuj Chauhan and Yong-Kyu Yoon
A dexamethasone (DX) loaded electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers/microbeads hybrid drug release system is fabricated and characterized. Drug release profiles change for the different ratio of nanofibers and microbeads, which is controlled by the electrospinning parameters such as the solution viscosity and the tip-to-collector distance. Also, it is observed that the electrospun nanofibers/microbeads show enhanced polymer orientation and crystallinity, resulting in significantly lower diffusivity than that of the spin-cast structures. The hybrid system shows an extended release time longer than a month.
Keywords: Drug delivery system, electrospun nanofibers/microbeads and extended linear release